Lawton VA Outpatient Clinic changes lab procedures

Effective immediately, veterans who receive primary care services at the Lawton VA Outpatient Clinic will no longer need to schedule an appointment to draw labs.

According to a press release, the change is based on providing flexibility to veterans’ schedules, as well as close proximity to other Community Based Outpatient Clinics, and new research with non-fasting lab testing recommended by the VA Office of Clinical Services. The change also will improve the limited waiting space due to renovations in the clinic.

Since April 2023, fasting is no longer required for most lab testing unless veterans are directed otherwise by their healthcare provider, according to a press release. Veterans can walk in to get labs drawn before or after their scheduled VA appointment. The VA staff will notify veterans of lab testing and their clinical team will be available to discuss any results from the appointments.

The release said due to the shift to non-fasting labs, the most routine blood tests, including managing cholesterol, diabetes and other services, won’t require overnight fasting for accurate results.

The release said on rare occasions, overnight fasting for certain non-routine, specialized blood tests may still be necessary. Veterans should check with their doctor to see if they need to fast or not.

The release said due to this transition, veterans eligible for Beneficiary Travel Pay should expect only one-way reimbursement if they only want to complete a new lab draw request. They can also go to the nearest Community Based Outpatient Clinics to get labs drawn. Any currently scheduled lab appointments associated with primary care visits will be honored throughout the transition. If eligible, this includes round trip reimbursement for the scheduled appointment.

For more information, visit the Oklahoma City Veterans Affairs Health Care System’s website.